Grady Hendrix is arguably the top horror author working today. Many are calling the talented novelist, the Stephen King of the future. It is hard to find any other author than Mr. King who has had their works adapted to film and television. Those works are often lambasted as inferior productions to their written counterpart. The simple equation is that written works allow the reader to imagine the story that unfolds before them exacerbated by the monumental task to fit a massive amount of material into the time frames presented in visual media. My Best Friend’s Exorcism was not Hendrix’s first work, but it was the novel that catapulted him to the pinnacle of the horror author’s mountain. A clever title and an eye-catching cover, which resembled an 80’s VHS cover box, brought massive interest. The novel itself was a terrific diatribe, filled with metaphoric satire of teenage life in South Carolina during the 1980’s. Amazon Prime optioned the novel for a film adaptation. Hendrix wrote an original screenplay for Fangoria Productions with Satanic Panic, but this is the first of his novels to be adapted. Will his works transcribe well to the small screen, or is the source material just too detailed to present a good coherent film?
Abby and Gretchen are two inseparable teenage girls trudging through the hells of high school. Along with two of their other friends, they take off for a quick retreat at a cabin by the lake. A building adjacent to the cabin harbors a dark and sinister history. After pizza, soda, and a touch of psychedelic drugs, the two besties decide to explore the rancid structure. The duo gets separated and when reunited, Gretchen is clearly different. In the coming days, Gretchen begins to show signs of severe psychological damage, which Abby eventually diagnoses as an actual demonic possession. Abby’s fears are proven true, as the entity that now resides in Gretchen attempts to destroy the lives that orbit around her. After having her claims dismissed by anyone with rational thought, Abby turns to Christian Lemon. Lemon is part of a celebrity bodybuilding, Jesus loving, inspirational group. Christian confirms Abby’s suspicions and the duo set out to exercise the demon that has taken possession of Gretchen.
Director Damon Thomas does a fine job adapting this popular novel. The film captures the essence of the novel while providing the audience with a fun romp through teenage life in the 80’s. Thomas splashes music, fashion style, and sets that exemplify the popular era to perfection. Amiah Miller steals the show with a terrific portrayal of the possessed Gretchen. Miller transforms from teen queen to demonic diva with ease, getting the audience to buy into her transformation. While the film and novel are both very enjoyable, the plot has an identity crisis, which has been the thorn in many of Hendrix’s works. That thorn is the very difficult duty of balancing horror and comedy. While Hendrix has been praised over the last several years, an undertone of skepticism has clouded his works. This has been evident in all but one of his written works, the fantastic Final Girls Support Group. Reviews from his screenplay for Satanic Panic echoed the same concerns. Hendrix presents perfect prose, however; as his audience gets enthralled in the horror, misplayed comedic tones often derail the terror train. This is consistently evident in My Best Friend’s Exorcism. As the flames of the slow burn begin to spread, comedic satire steals the tense atmosphere. In the end, this film is a very good and entertaining film introduction for the talented author’s work. Much like Satanic Panic, My Best Friend’s Exorcism will be enjoyed and quickly forgotten. Pity, because the work is there to create timeless classics.
Scream Score: 7.3/10